Transit advocates says somebody's gotta help the mta. They claim it's only fair to make cabs pay more.

"It's important all these different parties realize there's a benefit for a strong mass transit system. Taxi drivers benefit from it too," Veronic Vanterpool of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign said.

But when we talked with drivers, we heard of pain and worry about how to make ends meet.

"It's just gonna cut down on the tips. Basically, people just don't want to pay extra. They're struggling as it is," Uppkar Thind said.

"It'll mean less tips, fewer jobs. Right now, I'm suffering trying to make a living as it is," Francis Loughlin added.